Democrats warn of politization on Israel support

Democratic lawmakers said they weren’t invited to the dedication ceremony of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and warned the Trump administration against a “dangerous effort to politicize the U.S.-Israel relationship.”

A letter from members of the influential House Foreign Affairs Committee to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman was first reported by the Jewish Insider politics website.

The six committee members said in the letter that contrary to statements Friedman gave in an interview with Axios, no Democratic members of Congress were invited by the White House to the ceremony.

“We believe it is essential that you, as an American diplomat, have the full set of facts so that your interactions with your Israeli host government don’t leave them with a mistaken impression,” the letter said. “We would deeply regret if the government of Israel was left with the mistaken impression that Democratic lawmakers chose not to attend the event.”

The letter was signed by Jewish Reps. Eliot Engel, Ted Deutch, Brad Sherman and Brad Schneider, as well as Albio Sires and Tom Suozzi. (JTA)